YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Speaker of the National Assembly Khosrov Harutiunian met last weekend with a delegation of the Youth Forum of Europe visiting Yerevan to devise joint programs with the National Council of Youth of Armenia and discuss prospects for integrating the Council in European youth structures.
Harutiunian stressed that the youth of the day have the opportunity to freely communicate in an atmosphere of mutual confidence. The cooperation between international youth organizations may not only promote the exchange of experience and knowledge–but also the formation of appropriate approaches to the values common to all mankind–he said.
The Speaker gave a detailed presentation of the current state of relations between the parliament and youth organizations–underlining that these relations became periodical and most importantly businesslike. Harutiunian deemed it necessary to create in the country conditions which would allow the greatest use of the youth’s potential–in all spheres.
Pointing out that the problems of the youth are constantly at the center of authorities’ attention–Harutiunian reported that the federal budget provides certain funds to achieve a solution to those problems. He also reported on the agreement recently reached during his meeting with a delegation of the National Council of Youth of Armenia regarding the establishment of an alternative youth parliament. Court of Appeals to Go into Effect in 1999 YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–The supreme judicial body of Armenia–the Court of Appeals–will not be performing the functions of a classical court of appeal in the next six months–reported Minister of Justice David Haroutiunian. The Court of Appeals as such will start functioning from January 12–1999–when laws aimed at realizing judicial reforms in the republic come into effect–the Justice Minister said at a news conference Friday–stressing the importance of establishing a new supreme judicial system in Armenia. He pointed out that a special law had been adopted for the transitional period and for this period the Court of Appeals will mainly perform the functions of the Supreme Court of Armenia.
"When there is a division of functions many problems are immediately solved and the system starts functioning more correctly," said Haroutiunian. He noted that it is not possible to establish an ideal judicial power for one year with a single stroke of the pen. "However–it is very important what steps are being taken and in what direction. I consider it to be a step forward," said Haroutiunian–adding that the Ministry of Justice would do everything for an independent judicial power to be established in Armenia. Regional Women’s Conference to Promote Cooperation YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–A regional conference for women from Armenia–Georgia and Azerbaijan has been scheduled to be held in Tbilisi in the fall. The conference has been viewed as a major step toward cooperation of women’s organizations in the Caucasus.
Preparations for the conference were launched in June by the participants in the global training in leadership for women of Armenia implemented by the Academy of Education Development of the USAID with the assistance of Winrock International. AED also arranged similar programs for women from Georgia and Azerbaijan.
In the AED program–women from the three countries stayed in the United States for a month where they took a course of theoretical and practical training in managing public organizations. Special attention in the program was assigned to cooperation between women’s organizations.
In the preparatory period for the conference–Armenian women presenting 16 public organizations already held meetings with representatives of AED–USAID and Usis–the US Embassy in Armenia. Special attention was paid to further plans regarding the establishment of first a national and consequently a regional network of women’s organizations promoting the establishment of democratic society in the post-Soviet era.